Senior Conservative Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow has been suspended from the campaign after suggesting the father of a slain soldier who criticized Stephen Harper today was a Liberal.
Mr. Sparrow sent an e-mail to CTV News today suggesting that Jim Davis, the soldier's father, is a supporter of Liberal Michael Ignatieff.
Mr. Sparrow sent his e-mail to CTV producer Jenna Fyfe in Ottawa shortly after 10 am EST Thursday. He had earlier called Ms. Fyfe to deliver the same message.
CTV Washington bureau chief Tom Clark, who is reporting on the Tory campaign this week, had raised Mr. Davis' criticism at a scrum with Mr. Harper.
“Note that this guy is an Iggy supporter,” the e-mail read, followed by a link to a page on Mr. Ignatieff's website offering condolences on Mr. Davis's loss.
Tory Senator Marjory LeBreton, a national campaign co-chair, said there's no excuse for Mr. Sparrow's behaviour.
"When a family suffers the loss of a loved one, it's a tragedy beyond belief ... and politics should never enter into it," she said.
Ms. LeBreton said Mr. Davis' criticism today was justified comment. "It's entirely appropriate thing for him to say because he lost his son."
Mr. Harper repeated the sentiment before delivering a scheduled address in Saint-Eustache, Que., early Thursday afternoon, saying: “Somebody in our war room sent out an inappropriate e-mail questioning the motivation of father of the deceased Canadian soldier who questioned our policy on Afghanistan.”
He said: “That individual has been suspended from the campaign. He has apologized to the individual in question, and I want it make it very clear that I have set a tone and an expectation as leader for this campaign. I'm going to make sure that that is followed all the way to victory.”
Mr. Harper had been forced to defend his decision announced Wednesday to pull Canadian troops out of Afghanistan in 2011 in the face of criticism from Mr. Davis, whose son Corporal Paul Davis died in Kandahar in March of 2006.
Mr. Davis told CTV's Canada AM he was shocked by Mr. Harper's comments. He said his son will have died in vain if Canada withdraws before its mission is complete.
"I couldn't believe he would say something so irresponsible as that," Mr. Davis told CTV.
Mr. Davis setting a deadline "undermines the work our soldiers are doing and it undermines the mission."
Mr. Harper said he “doesn't accept” the notion Cpl. Davis will have died in vain and said Canada is determined to pull out by 2011 because by that time it will have had soldiers deployed in the deadly province of Kandahar for six years.
“Six years in Kandahar? We were in World War II for six years. We've got to be able to get to the endpoint,” he said.
“If we don't set end dates and we don't have targets the mission will go on forever … [and] we will end up being responsible for the ongoing management of Afghan security.”
NDP Leader Jack Layton was asked during a campaign stop in Montreal about the contrast between the warm image Mr. Harper has been trying to portray and the attacks emanating from the Conservative war room.
"It looks like the sweater has come off," quipped Mr. Layton. "You can't cover up an agenda with something fuzzy like a sweater. And I think we have seen in the House of Commons constant insults on the part of not just back benchers, front benchers of the Conservative party. If you disagree with them, you are open season for an insult."
Ms. LeBreton dismissed the notion that two nasty attacks this week – an ad showing a puffin defecating on Mr. Dion and the attack on Mr. Davis – reflect the culture inside the Conservative Party.
“It does not reflect the party. It does not reflect the prime minister. It does not reflect our government,” she said.
She said party staffers should think twice before they act.
“I can't explain how something like this happens. People, sometimes, things go through their heads and perhaps before they do things like this they should step back and think about them first.”
It's the latest in a series of gaffes involving the Tory campaign.
The party has already had to backtrack three times this week: first after opposing the participation of Green Leader Elizabeth May in the leaders debates; then by editing an ad on its website showing a bird defecating on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion; and then damping the flames after a Halifax candidate had to resign after it was learned she had a criminal record.
- With files from The Canadian Press
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